Cotton fabrics functionalized with hydroxyl-rich graphene derivatives and silver nanowires: washing resistance and preliminary antibacterial activity against Escherichia coli

Abstract

Cotton-based antimicrobial textiles are attractive for applications requiring improved microbiological control, but their performance depends on effective surface functionalization and retention of the active materials after use and washing. In this work, cotton fabrics were functionalized with hydroxyl-rich graphene oxide (HGO), hydroxyl-rich reduced graphene oxide (H-rGO), and silver nanowires (AgNWs), either individually or in combined treatments, to investigate their deposition onto the textile surface, washing resistance, and preliminary antibacterial activity. The treated fabrics were prepared by immersion-based coating procedures, and the persistence of the deposited materials after repeated washing was evaluated by UV-Vis analysis of the residual wash solutions. Surface morphology before and after washing was examined by scanning electron microscopy. The results showed that graphene-based coatings, particularly HGO, exhibited stronger retention on cotton fibers, while AgNWs were partially retained after repeated washing cycles. SEM images confirmed the deposition of AgNWs on the cotton surface and showed that part of the coating remained associated with the fibers after washing. A preliminary antibacterial assay against Escherichia coli indicated that nanomaterial-treated fabrics inhibited bacterial growth relative to untreated controls, with the combined HGO/AgNWs treatment showing the most promising inhibitory trend under the tested conditions. These findings demonstrate the feasibility of producing cotton fabrics functionalized with hydroxyl-rich graphene derivatives and silver nanowires, supporting their potential as proof-of-concept antibacterial textiles with partial washing resistance.